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Leaving Castro’s Cuba behind

Leaving Castro’s Cuba behind

The first wave of Cubans — many of them for the first time in 50 years — are leaving their island to see the world. Among them the famous blogger Yoani Sánchez. They seize the opportunity of Cuba’s new travel law which went into effect earlier this year. Finally.

In Cuba, I’ve seen many suitcases that had been packed years and years earlier. There they were, sitting idly in a corner, under a bed, or in a closet waiting to be carried to some far away country. But as time passed, the baggage got worn out even without moving an inch in any direction. They became symbols of a dream that slipped away. Countries beyond the Castro territory were out of reach.

In last 20 years, I visited Cuba four times. As I walked through Cuban towns and villages, I realized that my own country had become almost a mystical place for many Cubans. For others, my presence was a painful reminder of their lives being wasted. I come from the former Czechoslovakia, a country that used to be socialist, and was one of the closest allies of Fidel Castro. Our mutual trade was based on political solidarity, not on the free market. For instance, we would send our motorbikes called the Jawa to get Cuban oranges in exchange. Also, Cubans studied for free at Charles University in Prague while some of our students were enjoying Cuba, the only tropical socialist country we could legally go to.

But then the 1989 Velvet Revolution exploded. The communist regime crumbled and Czechoslovakia became a capitalist country. Czechs were now an enemy to the Castro regime. Now, we Czechs demanded cash payment for our Jawas, not oranges. We also demanded that Cuba have free elections and respect for human rights.

Very quickly, trade dried up and our relationship soured. The new Czech government with president Vaclav Havel became one of the most hawkish European countries in dealing with communist Cuba. Castro was furious, calling the Czech Republic a traitor, a sell-out, an American puppet.

In 1993, just four years after the Velvet Revolution, I traveled to Cuba for the first time. Fidel Castro agreed to open the island for tourism back then. The contrast could not have been bigger. While capitalist Czechoslovakia was flourishing, Cuba was on the brink of starvation. I remember walking around Havana in my new jeans, new shoes, shiny watch on my wrist, with lots of money in my pocket. I felt the eyes of Cubans on me. As a kid I had the same look on my face whenever I happened to come across a western tourist roaming the streets of communist Prague.

During that first visit, Cubans asked questions about the living conditions in capitalism, reflecting on their own lives in socialism. They asked questions about the Czech Republic based on fear and insecurity: How about unemployment? What about the mafia? How are you coping with losing free education and healthcare, cheap housing, social benefits, etc.?

They also had questions based on curiosity and longing: How does a burger taste? How much money do you make? Which countries have you gone to?

And questions based on desperation and hardship: Can you send me back some underwear I could sell? Can you get me milk for my child? Do you want to have sex with my sister?

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